Tracerz® Extended Release Scent Markers for Blind Dogs

Tracerz® scent markers are the most cost effective way to help your dog or cat adjust to blindness. Tracerz™ are great for any indoor area such as home, apartment or office. Each Tracerz™ pack comes with 20 obstacle scent markers and 8 path scent markers contain a calming blend of essential oils that are pleasantly distinctive so as to not be confused with other household products. The unique scents of the obstacle and path markers are only noticeable up close to humans, however dogs and cats can locate them from impressive distances.

Tracerz™ can be affixed to walls, furniture, carpet, tile, hardwood, doors, trim, appliances, vinyl, glass and much more. Tracerz™ are less than 1" in diameter and can easily be concealed - you don't have to see them, your dog just needs to smell them.

Living with blind Dogs

HOME: Keeping a safe and unchanging environment is key. To a blind dog re-arranging furniture can be challenging, and moving into a new location can be traumatic.

At first, some blind dogs will become lost and bark out for help while others may freeze up, afraid to move. You should check your house for things that they can run into, knock down, fall into or trip over.

Due to these unique challenges, It is also highly recommended that your blind dog have a exclusive safe spot other than his sleeping area to retreat to.

WALKING & JOGGING: With a few simple precautions blind dogs can still go for walks but you'll need to keep a tight leash, and interaction with other dogs will become tricky.

Dogs assert their pack position with body language, and without the ability to read body language, blind dogs can often send unintended confrontational signals. Jogging on flat ground with a dog that has become blind is still possible with a bit of encouragement and caution.

SOUNDS: Dogs can hear a wider range of sounds than humans, however sound is not an effective means of navigation for dogs because of their poor ability to determine what direction a sound is coming from.

When possible leave a small radio on to give them some additional orientation especially when they wake up from a deep sleep.

SPECIAL COMMANDS: Teaching your blind dog the special command "watch out" should be done asap. Use the "watch out" command sparingly or else they won't take it seriously. Be careful when verbally disciplining other dogs in your home because a blind dog has no ability to determine if a verbal reprimand is directed at him. Instead of the traditional "no" command use a spray-bottle with water to silently discipline other dogs.

OUTDOORS: For the most part blind dogs navigate well in through front yards and backyards. Scent marking outdoors is possible but generally not recommended. From a blind dogs point of view, variables such as strong winds, rain and snow can disrupt outdoor scents and change the tactile feel of the ground. Those conditions can cause even the best trained blind dog to become lost, which contributes to drowning in pools being among the leading causes of death among blind dogs.

Accordingly, it is important to make a physical barrier around pools to stop them from falling in. If your dog is a good swimmer you should encourage but not force them to swim in the pool because in addition to being good exercise for them, swimming in the pool prepares them in case they fall in accidentally.

TYPES OF BLINDNESS: There are hundreds of eye diseases that can cause blindness in our pets. The most common causes are cataracts, glaucoma, trauma, and retinal degeneration or detachment. Many eye diseases are progressive and may take anywhere from days to years for total blindness to set in. You may find your dog to be blind only in certain conditions. There is often a very frustrating transitional phase where they can see in bright areas but then become effectively blind at night or in dim lighting.

Additional help for blind Dogs Alternative methods include covering your floors in carpet runners, or having your dog wear thick cushioned suits to minimize injury when running into things.

While these methods can work, it is often just not that realistic to cover your floors in carpet runners and have your dog wear an awkward foam suit.

If your dog or cat is developing signs of vision impairment contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

All Natural formulated oil blends allow dogs to distinguish Tracerz from all other items

Helps blind dogs regain confidence and to assist in developing a mental map of their environment

Smell only noticeable up close to humans, however dogs can smell them from impressive distances

Contains proven scents dogs are best at detecting

Last up to a year. Simply scratch to renew.

Blind Dogs and Cats can live long and happy lives.

The ability to distinguish between millions of different smells allows them to literally see the world through smell. Tracerz™ are pre-scented location markers that help blind dogs build up a mental map of their environment.

How Tracerz™ work

The scent markers are placed around the home to help your dog find important locations, avoid obstacles and not get lost when waking up from a deep sleep. Blind dogs can visualize their surroundings through their olfactory (smelling) senses alone.

To help build up a 3 dimensional mental map, we created Tracerz™ which provide natural oil based scent markers that require no maintenance and can last for up to a year to aid your pet in navigating the home and coping with blindness.

We infuse each Tracerz™ marker with a unique mixture of highly concentrated essential oils suspended in wax that won't wipe off or wash away. Tracerz can be scratched periodically to refresh scent emissions. This process maximizes the scented surface area and makes the marker active for 4-8 months. We have searched and thoroughly tested the safest organic scented oils that dogs and cats effectively respond to.Each strip of 4 Tracerz has a different scent. The scents are a mixture from certified organic plant extracts including Clove stems, Vanilla, Cypress, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense and Ravensara. A rubber based adhesive and scent retaining polymer are also used. All components are non toxic.

How to install Tracerz™

Affix the Tracerz™ dots as close as possible to the height of your dogs' nose and adjacent to the spots they most often collide with. The adhesive backing will bond strongly to most surfaces. We make it simple:

Peel away the adhesive side of each Tracerz™ from its plastic backing. Use of gloves is recommended.Use Tracerz™ marked with obstacle to stick onto obstacles that they commonly run into such as table legs, corners of coffee tables, doors, appliances and furniture.Use the path scent Tracerz™ to stick onto important locations such as door trim, exits, entrances, doorways and stairs.Many dogs need little to no training to pickup the Tracerz™ scents. While your dog is in a calm state, SLOWLY lead him around through his typical paths in order to let him sniff out the new scent mark in order to develop a 3 dimensional map. Tracerz™ are less effective when placed near open windows and doors or overpowering fragrances and colognes. Scratch the surface of each dot every few weeks to reveal fresh layers of scent emitting material.

What Tracerz™ can and cannot do

Typically within 48 hours, dogs will start avoiding more and more bumps and collisions. The first thing you will likely notice is not being awakened in the middle of the night to your dog lost and banging into things.

Soon they build up confidence and begin to move around with ease. Many dogs will even get over confident and run around similar to the way they used too.

However, Tracerz™ is by no means a cure to blindness. All blind dogs are still going to bump into things, especially when they get excited. The mission behind Tracerz™ is to minimize the frequency of those collisions and make sure your pet never gets lost within the home. Tracerz™ are very helpful for cats, but they are most effective with dogs.

Customer Reviews

Bought this for my momma’s dog and it’s been an effective aid! Very pleased!!

2017-10-31 22:45:07 UTC

Martina said:
tracer

great idea for helping my dog who has sadly been going blind! we just set them up and are training him now.

2017-10-28 16:05:06 UTC

Noah Timan said:
tracerz

A+ service and shipping. Great job.

2017-10-27 16:46:14 UTC

Richard Thompson said:
Vision Problem Aid

Our dog had eye surgery and had trouble seeing for a couple weeks. We had these in place prior and it really helped her get around!

2017-10-12 17:39:42 UTC

Valerie Mendez said:
Scent Pads

My son recommended this product for our older dog and we set it up around the house as instructed. Having the scents placed around walkways is helping. It’s a good invention. Thank you.

2017-10-11 18:48:03 UTC

Joel Terrebonne said:
Great product

Our 9 year old Havanese went blind due to PRA, Progressive Retinal Atrophy. It happened very quickly. I bought some of these products and put them up in three houses where I dog stays. They worked amazingly well. Thank you for making such a great product.

2017-10-09 18:13:05 UTC

Bill S. said:
Pads

Great idea for a product. I set it up around my parents’ house for their blind dog and it is helping her get around now.

2017-10-05 19:31:54 UTC

Glenda Anderson said:
Help for Blind Pet

I bought these for my parents' older dog who is mostly blind now. We set them up around the house and it's helping her get around! Happy with the purchase.

2017-10-02 17:00:20 UTC

Julie Keck said:
wonderful product

I am a veterinarian and behaviorist. I was familiar with the Tracerz from previous blind canine patients. I now have a 16 year-old dog who is loosing his sight and started running into glass doors and furniture and falling down stairs. I placed Tracerz on furniture, doors, and stairs with immediate results in not just the concerning head-on collisions and falls, but also his overall anxiety level. The odor was not a problem for any of the people or other pets in the home.

2017-06-23 23:02:30 UTC

n/a said:
Scent Pads

Our miniature schnauzer had developed SARDS and went blind as a result. We felt bad for her having trouble getting around the house but I had heard about these scent pads online and so we tried them and they have been working great! There’s a big difference in her confidence walking around. We’d recommend this product!

2017-06-05 20:41:06 UTC

Susan Holmes-Peterson said:
Had horrible chemical smell

The smell was so strong that we could not keep them in the house. It smelled like chemicals. We had to bag them in a Ziploc bag and throw them in the trash. We wasted our money. Did not want to return them because that would have cost more money.

Hello Susan,
I'm sorry you found our scented dots not useful for your blind dog. Keep in mind the scented fragrance when opening the package is packaged tightly to ensure freshness. Once the dots are separated the scent does diminish.
Also, we do have a 30 day money back so if you find the product is not useful please feel free to return them.

Old Man Winkle gets confused because of his age, his sense of smell isn't great, and is almost completely deaf, so I've used the Scent Markers in a different way than most.
I rarely let him walk freely around the house, (he's very little) as he gets very overwhelmed and agitated. I have an area separated for him downstairs with baby gates, as well as one upstairs. I put the Scent Markers surrounding the area, and it seems once he is in the enclosure, he smells that it's his 'safe place' and calms down.
I used different scents for his upstairs 'apartment' and his downstairs one, it will be easier for him to know where he is.
I belong to a blind dog fb group, and have told everyone about Tracerz® Extended Release Scent Markers for Blind Dogs!

2017-01-24 17:37:47 UTC

Susan Holter said:
Excellent idea, just not for our pup

Our dog is 15, deaf and now blind because both eyes had to be removed due to tumors. Otherwise he is in good health. He is struggling to find his way around, so we put these stickers on obstacles and to create pathways for him. Unfortunately, his nose doesn't work well anymore. He has to search for a treat that is held right in front of his nose. If your pet is blind but still has functioning smell and hearing, I would recommend this product.

2016-12-12 00:00:00 UTC

I'm An Amazon said:
New Pair of Eyes

Amazing product for my blind dog. It has helped him adjust to his loss of vision due to diabetes. He isnt bumbping into alls because he can smell the guides. Easy to use.

2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC

Amazon Shopper said:
Great product for blind dogs, help them and the owners

My mom's dog went blind and of course we didn't have the heart to abandon it. We kept it and decided to look into ways to make his life better and have him adjust to becoming blind a little faster. I came across these scent guides and knew I had to give them a try. I'm glad I did because they worked out wonderfully for us and the dog. We basically placed them around the house so our blind dog can get adjusted to blindness and learn sense of direction through the smell. We've definitely noticed improvement ever since installing these, the dog is a little more comfortable moving around and much more calm because he knows where he is because of the smell. Each path/obstacle help the dog to learn the difference between location by smelling a specific scent. My mom's dog has reacted well these smells so far and they don't seem to bother him. Truly a great product.

2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC

Di said:
Ease and effectiveness of Tracerz

As I have only put these dots into place and also have had to order more since our area needs more, it is probably a bit early to make a truly informed review.
We have a small minature schnauzer who has had vision problems for some years but they have recently worsened and I doubt she can see much at all inside the house - a little better outside in the daylight but not great. she uses her nose primarily for findng her way around and is quite a gentle animal so walks carefully and so bumps into things rather gently usually without mishap.
I used the markers on the doors that are sometimes open and sometimes half open ( a problem ), on the chairs and the baby stroller that are sometimes in the way as well as on the pathways through the rooms that she uses. Marked the walls in the bedroom that she bumps into at night Also added to the top step of the 2 steps leading into the back garden (she won't go up or down steps usually and waits to be lifted)
On the first day she clearly improved on the path to back door, by the third day she was not bumping into the half open door. she also does not seem to be bumping into the walls in the bedroom and doesn't get lost going into the bathroom during the night-she used to confuse the bathroom door with the walk in closet door.
I am not saying this is perfect and it might be well suited to her personality better than more exuberant dogs, but it it is certainly showing promise to making her life easier and less confusing.
I will update this as we add to it and therefore have a clearer picture .
I will add to this review

2013-05-10 00:00:00 UTC

Sabrina D. said:
AWESOME Product!

My Friend saw something online about Tracerz scent markers for blind dogs. Being a blind dog owner, he forwarded me the information knowing how my blind dog has issues getting around the house. I must admit I was skeptical as I didn't think anything could help my dog. I decided to try them since they are only $20. I have only been using Tracerz for two weeks but I can tell a huge difference at the way he moves around our house now. He still bumps into things, but not nearly as much and he definitely seems more confident. I would recommend Tracerz to anyone with a blind dog.

2012-11-16 00:00:00 UTC

Amanda said:
Great guide for my dog!!

I own a Aussie Cattle Dog, she turns 10 this new years. About two months ago we noticed she was having a harder time seeing. Bumping into things, over shooting objects and not able to focus. So I did what any pet parent would do, I took her to the vet. After a test for diabetes (which you should do if your pet has had sudden vision loss) our vet found that she was in great physical shape but had developed bad cataracts. Which at times can develop really fast! So we watched and waited and the cataracts did not seem to get any worse. That was until one night my Sophie girl seemed to lose the remainder of her sight all at once. She started pacing and acting really strange, like she was scared of something. At first I thought she had heard a fire cracker, but then realized that her anxiety was due to the fact that she could not see!! I was so worried as she panicked, and bumped into just about every wall and object in our house!! BUT fortunately I had found Tracerz online!! That very night I began to put the scented pads all over our house!! They worked fantasticly well!! As Sophie approached a wall and smelled a pad there she gently turned away and kept moving!! They helped not only myself, but also my Sophie to navigate through our house and get to the place she was looking for!! She started using them so fast I was shocked! She could easily move form room to room without me worrying and guiding her! Tracerz gave Sophie back her independence!

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.